[sha-toh; Fr. shah-toh] 
[-tohz; Fr. -toh] . | 1. | (in France) a castle or fortress. |
| 2. | a stately residence imitating a distinctively French castle. |
| 3. | a country estate, esp. a fine one, in France or elsewhere on the Continent. |
| 4. | (often initial capital letter ) a winegrower's estate, esp. in the Bordeaux region of France: often used as part of the name of a wine. |
| cha·teau also châ·teau (shā-tō') n. pl. cha·teaus also châteaus or cha·teaux also châteaux (-tōz')
[French château, from Old French chastel, from Latin castellum, castle; see castle.] |
chateau
in France, during the 13th and 14th centuries, a castle, or structure arranged for defense rather than for residence. Later the term came to designate any seignorial residence and so, generally, a country house of any pretensions.
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